The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations under nine education boards will begin on Thursday amid tight security.

This year, 1,251,111 students from general, technical and madrasa education streams are expected to take part in the exams at 2,797 centres across the country. The number of candidates has decreased by 81,882 compared to last year.

The Ministry of Education has ordered all coaching centres across the country to remain closed until August 15 to ensure a proper exam environment.

Several instructions have been issued for the exams:

Students must enter the exam halls at least 30 minutes before the exam starts. If a student arrives late for any valid reason, the cause of delay, along with the student's name, roll number, and entry time, must be recorded and reported to the respective education board on the same day.

The question paper code will be sent to authorised officials via SMS 25 minutes before the exam begins.

No one except the centre-in-charge can carry mobile phones or electronic devices inside the exam centre. The centre-in-charge may carry a mobile phone, but it must be a non-camera device.

The Inter-Education Board has also issued the following instructions:

Students must be present at the centre at least 30 minutes before the exam begins.

Information on the OMR sheet must be filled out correctly.

Answer scripts must not be folded.

Mobile phones are not allowed inside the exam centres.

The multiple-choice and creative sections will be held one after another without a break.

Students must pass both theory and practical parts separately.

Students can only sit for the subjects listed on their admit cards and cannot take exams at their own institutions.

Attendance sheets must be signed.

Law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, and local administrations have been asked to stay alert during the exams. Monitoring of social media platforms will also be increased to prevent irregularities.